A man who was sexually abused on “numerous” occasions by a garda more than 50 years ago has settled his legal action against the Garda Commissioner and the State.
The settlement included an acknowledgement by the defendants that the man had suffered “damage” at the hands of Garda Jack Dunne, but no other details of the settlement were disclosed.
In his High Court action, the man claimed damages for personal injury, distress and upset as a result of abuse inflicted on him from the age of 12, on dates from the late 1950s into the early 1960s, by the late Jack Dunne.
Dunne, who died two years ago, was stationed at Pearse Street station in Dublin. This is where most of the abuse took place, the man claimed.
The defendants had denied negligence, breach of duty of care towards the man or vicarious liability for abuse carried out by Dunne while a garda.
The action was also opposed on grounds alleging it was brought out of time.
Mr Justice Kevin Cross was told on Thursday the case had settled on terms including a statement being read in court on behalf of the defendants.
The statement said: "The Garda Commissioner is aware of the facts of this case. It was acknowledged the victim suffered at the hands of a man who was at the time a member of An Garda Síochána.
“An Garda Síochána acknowledges the damage suffered by the man at the hands of Jack Dunne.
“An Garda Síochána are committed to preventing, detecting, and prosecuting such offenders and will continue to take proactive steps to vindicate the victims of such abuse,” the statement concluded.
Afterwards the man, speaking through his solicitor Pearse Mehigan, said he was happy with the outcome.
Football team
In his claim, the man said his family knew Dunne through his involvement with a football team for whom the man had played.
He said the abuse started when Dunne made arrangements to meet him after the garda came off duty in Dublin city centre.
He said Dunne brought him to the dormitory at Pearse Street station and, while in his Garda uniform, got him to sit on his lap.
He said that, on that first occasion, another Garda came in and acknowledged Dunne before leaving the room.
Dunne then sexually abused him, he said.
He said he did not understand what was happening as he was just 12-years-old.
He was later frequently abused by Dunne at the dormitory, he said.
When he called to Pearse Street and asked for Dunne, a Garda at reception would tell him to go up to Dunne’s room if he was in.
Dunne would also take him and other boys on trips outside Dublin.
He said that, during a stay in a cottage in Co Cork, he was raped and sexually assaulted by Dunne, who slept in the same bed as him.
Aged 14, he had asked Dunne to stop what he was doing.
He said that, as an adult, he felt shame, failure and guilt over what happened, and tried to close off what happened to him.
He said his life, health and relationships with others suffered as a result.
When he discovered in 2013 that Dunne had been convicted of sexually assaulting other boys during the 1960s, he was shocked.
This revelation brought back the abuse he had been subjected to.
He claimed the defendants permitted sexual assaults on him to occur and had no adequate procedures for supervision and safety of children who came into contact with gardaí, particularly Jack Dunne.
The defendants had denied the claims.